Tequila

MEXICO CITY -- A party wouldn't be a party in Mexico without tequila, and villagers from central Mexico made sure last week's inauguration of the nation's first opposition government in seven decades was no exception. The village of Corralejo in central Guanajuato state launched a "Fox 2000" tequila brand to mark President-elect Vicente Fox's assumption of power. The tequila was displayed in a huge keg in Mexico City's Zocalo central plaza.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — In all my days of writing, I've never ended up on the dance floor with an interviewee as quickly as I did in Guadalajara, in west-central Mexico. Stefano Francavilla and his sweetheart, Paula, picked up my wife, Elisabeth, and me in their red beater of a car, and we shot into the heart of the city. We had a long flight to Mexico, so they knew we'd be hungry and took us to the Ta Corte taco stand, a meat lover's paradise where we tried a vampiro, cubed bits of steak atop a layer of cheese grated directly onto the grill, making something of an overstuffed taco topped with a choice of salsas.

Though Jessica Biel insists she hasn't had time to plan her wedding to Justin Timberlake , we're guessing that's just to divert attention -- because Justin and his closest man-friends celebrated his bachelor party in Vegas this weekend! Gossip Cop reports that Justin and his 25 buddies partied at Surrender nightclub at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. He drank tequila (his own 901 brand, obviously) and wore a fedora and bowtie. His pals took a swim in the pool, but JT was on his best behavior.

By Anne-Marie Hodges and Pam Brandon, Special to the Sentinel, July 19, 2006

This summer-sexy, south-of-the-border concoction has all the right moves yet doesn't play hard to get. Just chop to the beat, sizzle and splash -- culinary instant gratification is yours in just three minutes Tequila, with a flavor and aroma all its own, gives this piquant dish a kick in the pants. Also, different tequilas add different flavors. Just remember this diva rule: Never cook with anything you wouldn't drink. When you add that generous splash of tequila to the pan, you're not only getting the flavors of the tequila and of the caramelized browned bits of garlic, you're also getting some extra flavors that only alcohol can extract.

Mexico's most famous female artist and style icon, Frida Kahlo, is the inspiration for a new super-premium tequila, Frida Kahlo Tequila. Frida Kahlo Tequila is made from 100 percent pure blue agave and hand-crafted to the highest standards. Initially, Frida Kahlo Tequila will be launched in three major U.S. markets -- New York, Los Angeles and Miami -- as well as in Mexico, with plans to expand nationally in 2006. Frida Kahlo Tequila will be sold at leading spirits shops and restaurants.

ST. LOUIS - Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. has combined the flavors of tequila and lime to make its new beer, Tequiza, due on store shelves Monday. The name of the beer is a cross between tequila and cerveza, the Spanish word for beer. Anheuser-Busch said it created the beer because many beer drinkers squirt lime in their beer and drink tequila on the side. The alcohol content of Tequiza is no higher than that of Budweiser - 5 percent. Tequiza appears to be Anheuser-Busch's response to Corona, the Mexican beer that has skyrocketed in popularity in the United States.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- As much as 1,800 gallons of tequila spilled into the city sewer system Monday because of a worker's mistake in unloading a tanker truck at the Brown-Forman Distillery. Fire units were dispatched to the scene because of the flammability of the 80-proof tequila. The monetary loss was not immediately given.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The 21-year-old winner of a competition to drink the most tequila died Monday and three other contestants were gravely ill in the hospital, officials said. Ricardo Ivan Garcia drank more than 50 shots of tequila Sunday night at Santo Domingo's Blanc, Dance and Lounge discotheque to win the prize of $330. He was hospitalized and died within hours, apparently from heart failure brought on by alcohol poisoning, public prosecutor Jose Hernandez Peguero said.

MEXICO CITY - Tequila has come of age with a cyberspace cantina now offering more than 200 varieties of the fiery spirit at up to $180 a bottle.The first Internet cantina, ``Jijos de Villa,'' has been selling the national tipple to Mexicans since late June and soon will open to the world.``We are currently distributing tequila throughout Mexico, and from Aug. 20 we may start to sell to the whole world, to all Internet users,'' said David Rincon, project manager at site owner Distribuciones Virtuales.

By Margaret Sheridan, Special to Tribune Newspapers, September 23, 2012

Cocktails in a pouch have bagged a thirsty audience. These single-serving pouches offer choices from margaritas and pina coladas to fruit-flavored daiquiris and sangria. Fuss-free, they're easy to find and affordable. The suggested retail price at supermarkets and convenience stores is $1.99. You don't need a gaggle of friends for an instant party. Just reach in the freezer, snip off an end of the foil-lined pouch and pour. No blender, ice or inventory of bartender ingredients is required.

Who: Mary Betts Where: Diamond Strike Lanes, 2200 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach , 954-941-0968, DiamondStrikeLanes.com. Behind the drink: To celebrate more than 50 years of bowling excellence, bar staff along with the special events director created a trio of signature cocktails for Diamond Strike Lanes. With fun names such as the Gutter Ball, Double Strike, and Great Balls of Fire, these cocktails demonstrate how creating your own cocktails can enliven any celebration.

Mixing popular summer cocktails and cupcakes was the ingenious brainchild for one of the delicious desserts from Flavor Cupcakery in Bel Air. Located near Harford Mall, the cupcakery is known for its unique flavors made with the finest ingredients. "We always wanted to have great recipes and commit to using high-quality ingredients," says Shelley Stannard, owner of Flavor Cupcakery. "And we like to research interesting combinations. " The Margarita cupcake is only one such combination.

Americans love tequila. They drank 185,000 margaritas per hour in 2008, celebrated Margarita Day in February, and even dedicated a separate holiday to the agave-based spirit, because all else was not enough. National Tequila Day is Tusday, unapologetically charging day-laborers with the task of downing shots on a weekday. The holiday's origins seem to be a mystery, but the bar owners and late-night revelers of South Florida will not question much after a night of 'ritas and shots and sunrises.

LOS CABOS, Mexico — Upon entering our elegant guest suite at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, we saw a handcrafted, blue-and-white ceramic decanter of Tequila Clase Azul sitting on the shelf beneath a large mirror in the hallway. Next to the bottle was a welcome note with step-by-step instructions intended to guide us through a "Tequila and Chocolate Tasting Ritual. " Four small covered dishes of almonds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, slices of lime and three different types of salt were set up beside the tequila.

A jury has ordered a distiller to pay $500,000 to the mother of a college student who died after downing at least 20 shots of tequila. ''I think the message will be to put warning labels on their product so people will know that alcohol is lethal and to educate and advertise about their product, that it is lethal,'' Joyce Brune said. Brune's daughter, Marie Brinkmeyer, 18, was found dead in her Texas A&I University dormitory room in 1983. According to testimony, she quickly drank a quantity of Pepe Lopez tequila at a party the night before.

OPELOUSAS, La. - When a tanker truck loaded with tequila sprang a leak, it was considered a hazard, not an opportunity to break out shot glasses and salt shakers. ``Who's going to Winn-Dixie to get the limes?'' joked Trooper John Dayries of the State Police Hazardous Material Unit. About 10 gallons was caught and disposed of safely in an operation that ended Friday. ``In bulk like this, it's a flammable liquid,'' Dayries said. ``That's why we're taking all these precautions.'' The truck had stalled by railroad tracks.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — In all my days of writing, I've never ended up on the dance floor with an interviewee as quickly as I did in Guadalajara, in west-central Mexico. Stefano Francavilla and his sweetheart, Paula, picked up my wife, Elisabeth, and me in their red beater of a car, and we shot into the heart of the city. We had a long flight to Mexico, so they knew we'd be hungry and took us to the Ta Corte taco stand, a meat lover's paradise where we tried a vampiro, cubed bits of steak atop a layer of cheese grated directly onto the grill, making something of an overstuffed taco topped with a choice of salsas.

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that purportedly celebrates the victory of a ragtag band of some 4,000 Mexicans fighters over 8,000 French forces on May 5, 1862. But this historic feat seems lost on most people of Mexican heritage in the United States who mark the occasion by celebrating their culture -- much in the drunken and carousing way people of Irish heritage celebrate St Patrick's Day. Alas, in recent years, the debate on illegal immigration (complete with street protests)